Is this policy being reviewed, or is it definitely going to stay the way it was on the old board with no items listed for sale.

Seems like more users have been asking for a way to list parts and pieces, and it would sure be helpful to have a separate topic where we could post small stuff that would not justify the cost of a classified ad in the magazine.

Is this policy being reviewed, or is it definitely going to stay the way it was on the old board with no items listed for sale.

Seems like more users have been asking for a way to list parts and pieces, and it would sure be helpful to have a separate topic where we could post small stuff that would not justify the cost of a classified ad in the magazine.

Is this policy being reviewed, or is it definitely going to stay the way it was on the old board with no items listed for sale.

Seems like more users have been asking for a way to list parts and pieces, and it would sure be helpful to have a separate topic where we could post small stuff that would not justify the cost of a classified ad in the magazine.

craig

This will be implemented.

Also, an area to sell more expensive stuff, that isn't an actual bus. Mike will decide the specifics. Then we will put it in place.

How about a percentage after the sale on anything other than complete buses? I think we're all honest enough to pay up after a sale. Or are you thinking of something that would be linked to mag as well. I'm thinking just a board flea market sort of deal.

You guys are killing me. Less than $1,000 free, $10 for items more than $1,000... come on, help me buy a tank of fuel for the bus. I'm thinking under $50 free, $50 to $200 charge $5 then maybe $10 up to a $1,000. Keep in mind that the ad will also be placed in the magazine, but hopeful the item will sell before the mag hits the street. Shoot, a gallon of Diesel is $3 now, a cup of coffee at Starbucks is $4 (I get mine at 7-11 for 75 cents). Anyway, sleep on it, and tell me what it's worth to get that crap out of the belly of your bus.

Logged

I may have started it, but you'll have to finish it! Located in So CA (Orange County)

Agree with Mike. If you can't pay to advertise on his free board to OVER 300 MEMBERS, then do it on BNO Online where the traffic seems to have dried up and don't sell it. I think a 'FREE' item should receive a 'FREE' listing. Otherwise, charge a percentage like ebay does. If you don't want to sell it, don't advertise!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you can't sell it on BNO or Ebay, why should we read about your white elephant? We already reading the many opinions rather than facts that many post in the effort to get to 100 posts. Why, when a member asks for information on an automatic transmission, should members suggest that he teach his wife to drive a stick?

Hope Fast Fred joins. He has the most valuable opinions! And he only posts when he has something important to say. He also still owns a bus!

Well, I wasn't going to reply to this, but since I sort of started it....

Not having a flea market on the MAK board has always been a detriment to it's functionallity. Yes, it's been an option on the other board, and quite successful, but some of us don't use that board. Not having one on MAK only results in tiffs when people either don't know about the policy, or try to sneak something by and all the policy police come out of the woodwork.

Personally, I've always considered the no-sale policy a bad one, but it's not my board. I understand there's a magazine profit motive behind the policy and while I don't agree with it, I've respected it, and kept my mouth (fingers) quiet. Now, we have a new board, and a renewed interest in reviving a community that has seemed to languish in recent years. Ideas for improving the functionallity of this new board are flying back and forth. There's excitement about the possibilities. We might finally have a searchable archive. Maybe there will be a chat room. We won't be getting spam and porn posted, and maybe it will be reliable. We finally have good software and some people who can effictively manage it.

My original "hope" for this request was just that we could have a place where we could post various excess items for sale. Something that could be set up similar to a small town radio swap shop online, or like the one on the other board, which seems to work so well. I had hoped that parts and pieces could be listed free, regardless of the price, and maybe the ad would be good for 30 days or so and then expire. A whole bus or auto would cost to advertise and would be listed for a longer time on the site, and would also be run in the magazine.

The stuff primarily listed will be odds and ends and leftover or removed items from the conversion or tearout. It may or may not be useful to others. If it is, it's typically going to be gone within a few hours of posting. Personally, I can't see why you'd want to clog up the magazine with a bunch of small item ads that have probably already sold. I can't believe it's cost effective to even try to edit each one for print. And how do you propose collecting all the fees? Account? Credit card? Honor system and snail mail? Send a bill for each qualifying ad? Sorry, but none of these are really viable options and I suspect neither Phil, Nick, or Mike want to take the time to police this and try to collect on unpaid fees.

I suppose you could impose a maximum $$ limit on the ads that can be placed. Effictively, I think that's what will happen if you start charging. In other words, if you set the fee starting at $50 you'll see very few items posted for over $50.

Not really sure what most of TomNPat's post had to do do with this topic, but his point about Ebay is somewhat useful, if not only to point out that there are alternatives. I haven't sold anything on Ebay for awhile, but I know the exposure is far greater than 300 members, and I think the fees are much less than what's being proposed here. And what's to keep a person from simply listing an item on Ebay, and then posting the auction number here. (I think I've seen that one somewhere else, also).

Mike, I'm not trying to take any potential income away from you, and you know we all appreciate what you're doing for the community by providing this board, but personally, I think trying to charge fees for a bulletin board flea market is a bad idea. Bus nuts are cheap, and they won't use it if there are cheaper alternatives. You can't compete with Ebay, and if I have to pay a fee, I might as well select the one that's going to give me maximum exposure for minimum price.

Personally, I'd prefer to offer my items to my friends, first. I'm not typically looking to make a buck, just cover my expenses or get rid of some things I no longer need which someone else can maybe use.

Just my opinion. It's your board and you should do what suits you. Then it's up to us as to whether it's a success or not.

I can see both sides of the issue. One item that may not be known by all is that the magazine that I publish losses money every month. No, not on paper, out of my pocket, I have to dig into my pocket to make it work every month. This extra money comes from my bus sales, and hopefully other sources if I'm lucky. The advertsing revenue for ads in a magazine is base on readers, and... we just don't have 100,000 plus readers that the FMCA has... so if your advertising for a RV item, the FMCA may get you better results than my magazine. However, only 2 percent of FMCA readers are bus people, so if you have a bus item, your paying for 98,000 people to look at something they don't know or care about That's where Bus Conversions Magazine excells... 100 percent of the readers are bus people. So, what does this have to with a free board. Well, the board is "free". However, if you want to make money off the board, shouldn't you help to pay the people who host it at "Godaddy" be paid. What about all the conventions and shows that I have gone to promoting the magazine and site. Shouldn't those people be paid. Ask yourself, how did you hear about the board. And whatevery your answer, someone was paid to get it to you, directly of indirectly. Sure, you might say, why not just charge the advertisers more. If we could double the number of bus people out there, I could. But until that happens... I'm (were) locked into a hard spot. People want more stories, better reviews, more information, but yet do not send the information in, and the magazine doesn't have the income to hire out everything... so, I'm open to all suggestions, "free" ads to $50, sure. Over that, is $5 to much? Another item to consider will be the lost leaders... I have a $49 tire for sale, you call and then I tell you about my 8 other great used tires at $800, with Alco wheels at $2,000. No way of stopping it, and it will happen. As you mention, people often promote their ebay ads here. Would a membership fee work, would you all like to pay... say $ per year... I can hear the screaming already... You mention we have 300 registered users,why won't the rest of the users register? Afraid of spam etc. That's why I don't register, but go to an advertiser and tell them you have 300 registered users and how many other ones... 1000? 5,000? What is their response to this number? OK, maybe we have pay if you want deal... that might work best. Life can be short, and hopefully it's fun, so go out, enjoy the bus and if $5 is to much, then maybe we make it all free. (I'll call godaddy, and see what they say) I do enjoy reading all the post, keeps me smiling... for the most part. And please don't feel like I'm complaining, I'm not. I'm happy with it all and it's not worth getting worked up over, because if it was not for Phil Lyons and Nick and the rest of you, we would have nothing... I'd be sending checks out in todays mail. LOL

Logged

I may have started it, but you'll have to finish it! Located in So CA (Orange County)

I will have to agree with MAK on this Issue. He is right on his point that everything is going up $$Second, If you ever had the pleasure of owning a busisness, you will understand that you must earn a profit or you won't exist... [in the real world]Third, If you don't have a fee, I can assure you that the free adds will be so clogged with nonsence adds that theissue will cause problems on the board! Like if an item dosn't sell, even at a cheap price, that add will be placed Forever at a cost to MAK!

As much as I hate to admit it, Being the tightwad and scrounger that I am, I have to agree with the PTB's at MAK.In our system, if there isn't a profit to be made, there isn't an incentive to continue. Altruism is wonderful, but it doesn't buy groceries or shoes or goodies for the coach.Personally I haven't subscribed to Coach Conversions Magazine for a few reasons, one of which is that I'm not in one spot long enough usually to justify subscribing to a lot of stuff that will get lost in the mail when forwarded. Now that I have a 2 year commitment to be where I am, while my wife has an upwardly mobile job, insurance and benefits, and I have my job repairing RV's, working on buses and collecting tools and stuff, I'll be subscribing.I think it's only fair that I give back to the people that have helped me get where I am with my bus.I've made a mistake once or twice and posted on this and the old board with something for sale, but,I did it without thinking.For that I apologize.I don't think that a small charge for an advertizement is too much to ask and as soon as I can afford it, I'll be adding my own ads to the MAK group.No matter how little is charged, or what is not allowed on the board, people, being what they are, will find a way around it to do what they want. It's the nature of the beast. The ONLY way to administer this and any other board is the honor system, or, in other words, trusting in people.If all you cheap a**ed S*B's want to keep a great place to congregate and freely exchange thought's and information, support the MAK systyem.I'm crawling down off my soapbox now,Thank you for your time.Mike, Keep up the Great Work!DallasPD-4103-1085

Agree with Mike. If you can't pay to advertise on his free board to OVER 300 MEMBERS, then do it on BNO Online where the traffic seems to have dried up and don't sell it. I think a 'FREE' item should receive a 'FREE' listing. Otherwise, charge a percentage like ebay does. If you don't want to sell it, don't advertise!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you can't sell it on BNO or Ebay, why should we read about your white elephant? We already reading the many opinions rather than facts that many post in the effort to get to 100 posts. Why, when a member asks for information on an automatic transmission, should members suggest that he teach his wife to drive a stick?

Hope Fast Fred joins. He has the most valuable opinions! And he only posts when he has something important to say. He also still owns a bus!

TomNPat

I have to disagree with some of this post.

First, when someone posts a query like this "Why, when a member asks for information on an automatic transmission, should members suggest that he teach his wife to drive a stick? " The purpose of an inquiry is to generally get a variety of options to solve a problem. Maybe it enough options are offered then he can save the cost of replacing a tranny. And there are many ladies out there who drive not only buses but also big rigs who might take exception to your comment.

Second a statement such as this "He also still owns a bus!" have anything to do with the price of eggs in China. Is there some reason that a non bus owner should not post if they have information to contribute.

Third this statement "He has the most valuable opinions! And he only posts when he has something important to say." This is a very subjective statement that some will agree with and some will disagree with. It is however an opinion that is, in my opinion, the very heart of the board as I indicated in the second statement. I really believe that we should encourage the board members to post their opinions, not belittle their posts, regardless of who it comes from.

Richard

« Last Edit: April 15, 2006, 08:41:46 AM by DrivingMissLazy »

Logged

Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body. But rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, a good Reisling in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming: WOO HOO, what a ride